


Loyalty

by GTRoxy



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Gen, M/M, Ten Year Bazooka, Ten Years Later Arc (Reborn)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-21 04:29:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14276934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GTRoxy/pseuds/GTRoxy
Summary: He would remain loyal to Tsunayoshi Sawada through the end.





	Loyalty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zenelly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenelly/gifts).



He had laid his life on the line time and again, never once looking back or regretting the action. It wasn’t that he didn’t value his life; of course his life had value (he’d learned that lesson years ago), but that value all belonged to someone he willingly gave it to, the one person who first forced him to understand the meaning to his life.

And here was the same person, knocking on Death’s door at his feet, blood soaking into his once pristine suit and staining the floor beneath them as the rest of the room erupted into shouts and gunshots echoed around them. Their betrayers were gone before they could really begin a fight, and he was the first to lift up the body, a strangled cry of agony bitten back when there was no flinch of pain at the movement he caused.

“Juudaime!!”

There was a flutter of eyelashes, brown eyes sluggishly rolling in response at the call, and the barest hint of a smile, before his beloved’s last sigh escaped his lips and with his breath took the last reason he had to live.

The following months blurred together, trying to get through the days with the ever present void that now filled their family. It was agony to work around it, but he supposed they all managed the best they could. There were things set in motion that could not be delayed or stopped. The world still turned and moved forward, even with its brightest flame put out.

He was visiting the place chosen as his burial spot again, smoke curling about him as he walked, echoes of ‘you should stop going so often’ ringing in his head. He thought about the last few times he came here alone, visiting the still body in that black coffin.

He thought about the last time he came with him to the clearing, quietly affirming his loyalty and love with the gift of a ring, kisses, and promises of forever, if forever existed for them. He hadn’t realized they wouldn’t even get the chance to start on forever.

He lifted his eyes as he came to the clearing, hand lifting to put out his cigarette as his lover had never liked them in his presence, and came to an abrupt halt at the sound of a wail.

“Who’s there?”

He rushed into the clearing and his breath caught as their eyes met, as innocent as he remembered them and the lightest spark of home bloomed in his chest after months of absence.

Fear was washed away in those eyes as recognition quickly flooded them, relief apparent within them as the boy spoke, “I know that face.. Go-Gokudera-k--”

His voice was a balm to his aching soul, and Hayato dropped to his knees, dropping the case he’d brought with him to lay his hands on those small shoulders, face contorted in pain as he roughly whispered the only word he was capable of speaking, “Juudaime!”

There was no helping the look of alarm on the boy’s face; he was so young, he had no idea. He wasn’t his Boss at all, but he was still Tsuna, and it was enough for now. Hayato bowed his head, apologizing in rushed sentences as his fingers bunched fabric beneath them, and quickly relaxed his grip at the slightest exclamation of pain.

“No. I don’t...know what’s going on.” The boy’s earnest face gazed up at him, eyes pleading for Hayato to listen and understand. Hadn’t he always? He’d always done his best for him. “I don’t know if you’ll believe me.. But I was hit by the Ten-Year Bazooka!”

Five minutes.

It was a small price to pay for being able to see him again. “I see.” Hayato needed to convey everything he could in order to prevent his death. He was unable to save his own Boss, but he could save this one. He had to.

“Juudaime... Once you return to the past, do exactly as I say. There’s no time to explain everything.” Hayato could see the boy’s confusion, but he was listening and that was all he needed. “Once you return, get rid of this guy.”

He pulled the photo out of his pocket. The man responsible for everyone’s pain and the ultimate betrayal. “This is him now, but you should have met him in 8th grade. Don’t hesitate.” The reluctance and hesitancy was so palpable. It was bittersweet to see him as he used to be.

“You mean… kill him?”

“If he’s gone, everything that happened with Byakuran…” Hayato let the sentence hang, watching the play of emotions along the boy’s face, desperate to soak in as much of him as their short time would allow. Those brown eyes turned down to the coffin and flickered back to him, and his heart sank immediately at what he suspected would follow, bracing himself.

“I want to know… Why is my future self in here?”

He couldn’t stop a sharp intake of breath, but the boy wasn’t done. “Why is my future self...in this coffin?”

Hayato opened his mouth, voice caught in his throat. How could he even begin to explain how he had failed? He couldn’t bear to lower his gaze; any sight missed right now would be unforgivable, but those brown eyes were full of uncertainty and fear, and he had no way to alleviate any of that without lying through his teeth.

Hayato could never lie to him.

“That’s…”

And then Hayato was gone, smoke billowing around him and blocking him from view, taking away the only chance he would have to tell him he was sorry for letting him die on his watch, sorry for allowing that bullet past him. There was comfort in his message having been received, and he would be able to help in the past now. He would keep this Boss alive, for himself and his past self, because he would remain loyal to Tsunayoshi Sawada through the end, and give him the promise of forever he intended.

**Author's Note:**

> Written sometime last year? Maybe? But I realized I never posted it here, so I edited it a little bit! Trying to rekindle my muse a bit...


End file.
